27 South Street

2008

The house on the east corner of Elm and South Streets was built in the summer of 1887 by Robert G. Patterson. The land upon which this house was erected was formerly part of one parcel along with the house and lot at 29 South Street.

In 1874, Mr. Patterson, who had a clothing store on Main Street, purchased this complete parcel and made the house at 29 South Street his home. This gave him open land on the corner with a view over the valley. Upon his retirement in 1887, he divided his property, selling the part containing his dwelling. He kept the lot on the corner where he erected a new house in which he spent the remainder of a long life. After Mr. Patterson's death in 1904, at the age of 95, his estate retained this corner until 1925 when it was sold to the Reverend Elmer M. Snodgrass. Four years later, after the death of his wife and only daughter, Reverend Snodgrass moved to Ohio and sold the house to Livingston County District Attorney Austin E. Erwin, who later was to become State Senator. Senator Erwin was the father of former Supreme Court Justice Austin E. Erwin, Jr. Judge and Mrs. Erwin lived in the house until they built a new residence on the Avon Road.